A Business Trip
by Trisyl
Summary: Artemis proceeds to buy several items from a disinherited not so wealthy collector's daughter, and instead of solving his own problems, finds himself trying to solve hers. THIS IS NOT A MARY SUE. SHE IS IMPERFECT, OK?! Working on the title. Any ideas?


A Business Trip:  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl. Eoin Colfer does.  
  
Author's Note: This is an Original Character FanFic, and it's my first one, so I thought I'd start it at Artemis Fowl, where I know everyone, although almost everyone's forgotten me. *waves* Hello? I wrote the Fanfic Escapes? Oh. You've never heard of it? Drat, I must've overdone the not updating. This is just supposed to be a test of my OC skills, how far I can drive them without turning them Mary-Sue. Please make yourself comfortable, and don't kill me. And I do indeed know this is a clichéd plotline, I am working with Mary Sues, after all.  
  
Also, Emerald is *not* going to fall in love with Artemis, nor vice versa, I don't think. She just popped into my mind while I was reading fanfiction, and demanded that she be made. She came completely made, and don't blame me for her flaws. But I'll let you know if I catch them snogging anywhere. *looks completely nauseated at the very thought*  
  
In a Mansion, far away:  
  
"Don't be ridiculous." Her voice was cold, tinged with a slight hint of worry. Only someone who knew her as well as her mother did would hear the note of fretfulness that had lodged itself in her throat. "You need me." "Oh yes." Laughed her mother, sneering slightly. "Don't be ridiculous." She said, mimicking her daughter's rasp of a voice. "Why would I need a slip of a thing like you? A sick, ugly chit such as you, why would I need you for my heir? Your sister, Emerald-" "My sister's name is Crystal. *I* am Emerald." She replied firmly, unaware that her voice was rising, ever so slightly. Her mother saw it and went in for the kill.  
  
"*You*?" asked her mother disbelievingly. "Look at yourself, dear!" She stressed the sarcasm on the last word as she shoved a mirror in front of her daughter's face. Even after the accident Emerald still couldn't help wincing as her mother showed her the face she still couldn't accept as her own. The face was slightly mottled, the eyes bulged out slightly, her nose proved too big for her face, and she looked like someone's worst nightmare of Frankenstein. Albeit a pretty Frankenstein, she wasn't *that* ugly.  
  
"The price of a jewel drops in the market when it is flawed, dear." Said her mother, finally satisfied with her reaction. "But I am not completely ungenerous. You may go to the Treasure Room and choose for yourself three, no ten items. You simply have no sense of value, but ten should keep you alive for a few years, considering the average worth of an item. If you are frugal enough," here she paused to laugh at the thought, and Emerald gritted her teeth, "you may even be able to keep yourself alive for the rest of your life. Now get out of my sight." The last words were spat out. "You have been disowned."  
  
Emerald hastily got out of the Business room that her mother usually used for negotiation purposes with her.. colleagues was the most appropriate word, and headed for the Treasure Room. There actually were a few items that she had researched, and had put a "for sale" ad on the black market. She had left her laptop in there last time, and it would be one of the items she took with her. She stopped in front of a pair of ancient brass doors and pushed them open.  
  
Even after all the years of living in the mansion, she still let her naïve, seventeen-year-old self take over, and sighed at the wonder of so many riches. Although that technically wasn't true; her mother wasn't rich, just a big-time collector of rarities and curiosities. She had sponsors from her husband's side of the family, and they had supported her after her husband died. But Emerald shook off her familial pride and memories; concentrating on choosing the items whose worth her life would hang on after she left the Petran grounds.  
  
Her laptop was one; she also chose an ancient Japanese samurai's sword that looked as though it would be worth quite a lot. And after only choosing two items, she hesitated, and logged onto her computer to see which one of her ads had been answered. With her luck today, not only would no one want to buy any of the prestigious but obscure antiques that she had put up, they would be accusing her of fraud. She laughed softly, her rasp of a voice barely surviving the pressure of laughing when she felt like blowing her top off, so much.  
  
To her surprise and pleasure, they had all been answered. In fact, the answers to her ads were so warm and enthusiastic that they had even offered to buy her contacts off of her. Emerald's eyes flickered from word to word, drinking in the appreciation generated by the letter, and chuckling at his crafty attempt to get the said items cheaper than they would be if she sold them. After researching his past closely, she answered his letter and she began to pack the items that he had particularly wanted, still grinning over his audacity. Sly fellow, Artemis Fowl.  
  
In the Fowl Mansion:  
  
Artemis ground his teeth together with irritation. He could almost chew on his tongue seething, what with the immature way his father was handling him. Did his father think that he was an incapable idiot, unable to take care of himself, that he had to put a *lock* on Artemis' door to keep him put? Butler had been sent on "vacation", much to his dismay, and guards had been posted around Fowl Mansion to keep him out. And what was all this for? Because Angeline Fowl had gotten worried about her little Arty and demanded of Timmy that he be closely protected, especially from such bad influences as Butler.  
  
Artemis logged onto his Internet account, and was annoyed, but not surprised to see that his father had blocked him from ever entering it again. Or so his father thought. It took him around five minutes to get through to his account, and he went immediately to the ads placed by one Emerald Petran, to see if he had been answered yet.  
  
His reply was one short missive:  
  
"Am coming to Dublin soon for business. Will be available at old oak tree where you first met Captain Holly Short. Will not have items brought until monetary negotiation has been completely finished."  
  
Artemis glared at the three sentences that were able to ruin his day immediately. If his glare had been in physical form at all, the computer would have melted. He had hoped to get this part of business finished quickly, especially since three or more of her items sounded vaguely like fairy technology, which he could wave tantalizingly in Foaly's smug face. He would've enjoyed doing that, especially since the centaur had refused to give his old laptop back. But no, the girl had to go and fuss, and most likely he'd have to invite her to stay with him to gain her trust, so he could get business done faster, and that would cause questions from his mother..  
  
Artemis Fowl the Second could not help just sitting back to sulk.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
This is only the beginning of a very Mary-Sue-ish plot. OK, what I'm trying to do is bring together Mary Sue plot elements, and NOT make a Mary Sue of them. Yes, a difficult task. *says this sarcastically* Hope you liked it. If you didn't, say so anyway. ( I'm always glad of feedback. Please review! 


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